Observed
by Dark Ice Dragon
Summary: Takeo has an unexpected conversation with Rai. ·Takeo/Rai·


**Summary**: Takeo has an unexpected conversation with Rai.

Contains Takeo/Rai.

Set…anywhere post-season 2, but pre-season 4.

Written for Kai! *hearts*

* * *

**************Observed**

By Dark Ice Dragon

* * *

Takeo sighed as he pulled his hair tie out in one smooth movement - Tao was in his room, either busy with making more gadgets or planning yet another joke, while M-21 had gone out for a walk (Tao had made a comment about the approaching full moon in a few nights time, and both he and M-21 had groaned at that). He shook his head, threading his fingers through the hair at his nape so they didn't stick up. He had cleaned his guns, but there were still a few hours until he would usually turn in for the night, so Takeo headed downstairs to the kitchen, wondering if there was anything in the fridge that he could snack on. Takeo only realised he'd left a few bullets in one of his pockets once he'd left his room, but he didn't go back to return them to their case; he'd be returning soon enough anyway.

_He_ was there, which wasn't that surprising, reading a leather-bound book in his hands, a cup of tea in front of him on the table. Takeo smiled a little at Frankenstein's continued efforts to teach _him_ how to play games before he started looking through the fridge. When he found something that didn't appear like it was made specifically for _him_, Takeo pulled it out. He felt the familiar prickle at the back of his neck when someone was watching him when he closed the door - but there wasn't any bloodlust to it either.

When Takeo turned around, _he_ had laid the book flat across his lap and was gazing at him; Takeo wasn't sure, but he thought he could see a slight crease between his eyebrows.

"Er, yes?" Takeo asked, putting the plate down on the counter.

_He_ didn't say anything for a few seconds and Takeo resisted the urge to fidget.

"Your hair tie's different."

Takeo's eyebrows rose at that statement and he glanced down at his wrist, where he'd put it. He'd noticed?

"It is, but…" Takeo trailed off, confused. _He_ had never seen the hair tie he'd used when he'd arrived in South Korea – it had been destroyed in his second battle with Frankenstein (or maybe lost, but the result was the same either way), and Takeo had only met him afterwards.

"There are other people who saw you before I did," _he_ said as he leaned forward to place his book on the table.

…Ah. Right, of course. Frankenstein had seen him and from what he'd learned from Miss Seira and Regis, nobles could also pick up information directly from people's minds; Tao knew what his hair tie looked like as well and, knowing Tao, might have told _him_ directly.

Takeo nodded, tracking back to what they'd originally been talking about. "I only had one of that kind of hair tie," he told _him_, "and these are fine." Takeo gestured to his wrist. It had taken a little getting used to, but it wasn't that different from what he had originally done.

_He_ studied the hair tie before returning his gaze to Takeo. "I could remake it for you, if you wish."

…Takeo was sure he'd misheard that. Did he just offer to-? "Are you sure?" Takeo asked, suddenly feeling out of his depth, not entirely sure what was going on.

Takeo saw the corner of his lips curl up slightly. "I would not have said it if I wasn't willing to."

Uh. "All right…?" Wait. "What do you need to make it?" As far as Takeo was aware, he could change objects, but not create things out of nothing.

"I could make it from your bullets," _he_ said, tilting his head towards Takeo's pocket.

Takeo's hand instantly went to it, feeling the bullets there. How had he…? He must have heard them knocking against each other while he was walking to the fridge. "Yeah, that's fine," Takeo said as he pulled them out. There were three bullets in his palm when he opened his hand, and Takeo raised his head in time to see _he_ was standing now, lifting an arm up towards him, his hand lax.

Takeo wasn't sure what he had expected to happen (maybe feeling heat, or maybe feeling _his_ aura press down on his palm), but the bullets and their shell casings melted, forming a shining pool in the centre of his palm. The change was fast enough that Takeo tried to cup his hand to make sure it didn't drip from his palm, but the metal stayed in place like it was viscous.

In the next few seconds, the liquid started changing, a thin swirl appearing on the top that swiftly indented all the way down, making it look like a curled up snake or – ah. Takeo could see the links forming next, one end of the chain flattening out to create the cross at the same time.

It wasn't long until the changes stopped and when Takeo picked the chain up with his other hand, it felt the same as the original. _Looked_ the same as the original, Takeo realised, seeing the scratches across the cross' surface – they were in the same places as the original's had been. It wasn't an exact replica, the bullets made from copper rather than silver, but Takeo didn't find himself caring.

"Thank you," Takeo said, smiling as he put the chain down in front of him and started to gather up his hair. Once he was done, he picked up his hair tie and started going through the familiar motions of tying up his hair. It was soothing in a way, doing that again.

_He_ smiled faintly back at him before he sat back down, picking the book up again.

When Takeo was done, he glanced down at the plate of snacks for a second. Instead of eating a few of them and returning to his room as he'd originally intended to, Takeo picked up the plate and walked over to _his_ side.

Maybe he'd keep him company before going to bed instead.

* * *

…I asked for prompts and then proceeded to not write them. I'd intended to, but in the plotting process, I ended up side-stepping them. ORZ;;; I'd originally been writing for the 'noble jewellery' prompt (Rai was going to pick up something for Takeo in his mansion) but then…this happened instead, haha…


End file.
